


Doctor's Mask

by space_gay001



Category: SCP - Containment Breach, SCP Foundation
Genre: Friends to Lovers, Friendship, M/M, Mild Gore, Non-Graphic Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-15
Updated: 2020-05-02
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:42:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 18,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23657788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/space_gay001/pseuds/space_gay001
Summary: Based on the SCP: Sedition series. Long ago, SCP-035 and SCP-049 were companions. This is about those times; the work, the play, and events that left marks on them both.
Relationships: SCP-035/SCP-049 (SCP Foundation)
Comments: 23
Kudos: 156





	1. A Chance Encounter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is literally just me writing the kinda stuff I want to read. Seriously, I love what Tats TopVideos has set up with these characters and I can't wait to see more.

Dyo Polonoi was a being of emotion. Forged in joy and laughter, bathed in sorrow, and with the passions of dozens of humans woven into their being, well, it was no wonder he felt so deeply. Humans were a fascinating bunch; the mask knew he would never grow tired of being around them. Their spontaneity, while an endless source of entertainment, did lead to some inconveniences, such as now. A human might, for example, ignore the voice they had listened to so devotedly in favor of fleeing for their life. While dormant inside his porcelain form, Dyo’s senses were limited, but he could still feel the thunder of hooves, the yells of fury, the screams of terror. He had the sudden realization that the wagon he was in was on fire and felt true panic perhaps for the first time in his life.  
He had always had someone to rely on. It was his nature, to be codependent with another. This was very unfortunate when everyone had fled for their lives. Not even the attacking soldiers, which the mask would have bet were Christian troops, stuck around long enough to hear the voice spoken sweetly into their minds. Not long after the chaos began, the world went still. By sheer luck, or perhaps someone had listened after all, the mask had been flung to safety in the grass beside the road. Crackling flames were the only sound left as the caravan went up in smoke. Well. This was going to be a boring wait.

Longer than expected, it would seem. Dyo knew this road; it was well traveled and they hoped to be found within a week. No one came, however, for many long months. Few things scared the mask; when you could talk anyone into doing anything for you, there wasn’t much else that could hurt you. Solitude felt...uneasy to say the least, despite him having weathered much longer periods of it. Loneliness when one expected company, however, was definitely cause for worry. Especially when one had spent the better part of a century orchestrating a war, with remarkable success, one might add. Still, the thought that everyone was dead did occur, unlikely as it was. The wait continued, slowly becoming more unbearable.   
The crunching of boots on gravel barely registered, but then the mask was suddenly aware of a long anticipated prescience. Finally, a host again! What sort of character were they? Another artist, waiting for Dyo to bring forth the essence of their very soul? Or perhaps someone adventurous to travel the world with? The mask was so caught up in their musings that he nearly let the person walk by him. Nearly.

“Hello? Who’s there?” The mask called out, disarmingly soft.

“Hmm?” He heard a low hum from the person nearby. A man, most likely. He stepped into the grass, searching meters above where the mask lay.

“Down here, good sir!” A thin, tall man leaned into view. Dyo paid little attention to facial features, he quickly made them irrelevant after all, but he did take note of the intelligent gleam in the blue eyes peering down at them.

“What manner of illusion is this?” The man knelt down and gently picked up the mask. As his skin touched the cool porcelain, a fog cleared and Dyo could speak more clearly to him.

“Ah, thank you! I have been lying here for quite some time, I was beginning to worry no one would ever find me.”

“You can speak? A mask?” His head tilted inquisitively.

“Yes, I have been blessed by God, you see. He gave me a voice with which to spread his good word.”

“That seems a strange decision, creating a disciple that cannot walk for himself.”

“Well, you know our Lord works in mysterious ways.”

“Very mysterious indeed. I would love to talk more, but I am afraid I am rather busy. I have a long way to go and much to do in the mean time.”

“By all means, continue about your business! I only ask that you take me with you, so that I may find a church to return to.”

“Of course, you will be no trouble at all to carry.” Much to the mask’s surprise, the man slipped him into a bag hung from his shoulder. He felt almost indignant; few ever met him without relenting to the urge to wear him. Ah, well, the man would give in soon enough. It wasn’t hard to convince them, it was only a matter of time.


	2. Travelling Companions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote both these chapters at 2am

“I am curious about this urgent business of yours.” Dyo felt the man flinch from inside the bag.

“I was not aware you would still be able to talk in there.”

“I don’t speak with my mouth the way you do. I speak to the mind.”

“I see.” Even if Dyo had not already begun the mental link with their future host, he would hear the suspicion in his voice.

“It is no cause for concern,” he said soothingly. “The way I am made, I have not the physical means to speak, so I must find another way to do so.”

The man remained silent.

“Do tell, though, what is so pressing that you cannot stop even a moment for?” Another long moment passed before he spoke.

“I am on a relief mission to help those affected by this violent conflict we find ourselves in.”

“The Crusades. Yes, it is unfortunate that so many have been affected.” Dyo did genuinely regret that his little stunt had led to innocent blood spilled. But casualties were always inevitable in war, and he had not let that stop him in Greece.

“I am a doctor by trade, although my methods are a bit...unorthodox.” Dyo’s curiosity rose. The man had given information unprompted, and such interesting information too.

“I assure you, I am no stranger to the unorthodox.”

“That does not surprise me.” The mask could feel the smile in his voice. _Gotcha_.

“Perhaps I could offer some company while you travel? It seems lonely work, and I can’t imagine the sick and dying make for the best conversation.”

“Perhaps so,” the doctor said more to himself than anything.

“I promise I will never be a dull companion. Wearing me can even ease the burden of physical needs; most have not had to rest or eat as often. Surely it would be a great benefit to a traveler like yourself.”

“You make a fair point, strange mask. Alright.” His hand reached into the bag and pulled him out. The smile carved on his face stretched imperceptibly wider, excited to stretch his, well, someone’s legs. The doctor placed the mask over his face and Dyo latched on.

_Oh_. This was new. The man’s mind did not recede as much as the mask had expected. He usually all but takes over the body, leaving just the memories of the host. Now, he felt just as much a passenger as when he was in the doctor’s bag.

“I don’t know what I excepted, but this is certainly an odd sensation.” The man’s lips moved independently underneath the mask.

“It is, but most people adjust with time,” the mask lied. Why was the man still in control?

“Strange, I don’t seem to recall...” A wave of unease flooded through Dyo’s mind as the man felt through his memories. This usually happened the other way around! He didn’t know what to do, never had he needed to block his own memories from an active host. “Hang on...you’ve never spoken to someone wearing you at all.” Anger suddenly rose in the doctor’s mind. “You meant to take over my mind! To trick me into becoming your puppet so you can do as you please!”

“I had no other way!” Dyo quickly tried to appeal to his kind nature. “The only way I can live is through others, surely you must understand that I couldn’t ignore a potential...”

“You have no right to enter another person’s mind, to..to invade and feed until there is nothing left!”

“I would be nothing if you hadn’t come along! Besides, you’re fine, right? I haven’t done anything to you.”

The doctor grumbled and contemplated for a long time. At some point during the conversation he had stopped walking. It must have been a strange sight, a man standing in the middle of a road yelling to himself in an old theater mask. Finally, he sighed.

“I suppose I can’t condemn you for trying to live any way you can. And you are right that you have done me no harm. But no more tricks, alright? If we are to be traveling companions, I would prefer to have some level of trust.”

“Well, I have to agree. You can see my mind as much as I can see yours, I doubt I could fool you if I tried.”

“Then we have an arrangement.”

“Indeed we do. I’d shake your hand but, well...”

The doctor chuckled. “What should I call you?”

“The name I was given is Dyo Polonoi. And you?”

“I don’t remember my name.”

“Really?” The mask rifled through his memories to confirm.

“I forgot it long ago. I have been without a real home for a long time.” Dyo could see that it was true; there were a few loved ones in a town far away, but the man’s family and childhood were long gone. When they searched for a reason, all they found was a long stretch of dull, aching pain.

“In that case, I am glad that we found each other. It’s not often that I am able to give back to my hosts, even if all I can offer is companionship.”

“Companionship is more than enough.” He smiles once again.


	3. A Corpse on the Road

“He looks like he’s been dead for a while, are you sure you’re able to help him?” Dyo asked, his voice laced with doubt.

“Oftentimes that isn’t much of a problem for me.” The nameless doctor set down his bag and knelt by the corpse.

“Oh? I would love to hear an explanation for _t_ _hat_.”

“Well, if you would stop talking and let me work, you’d have one by now.” The mask shut up, though not without some complaining. He wanted to argue, but he wanted even more to see if the doctor would actually perform this miracle he claimed he could.

He placed his hand on the dead man’s arm, just below where his sleeve ended. The man groaned and shifted as though waking up.

“Well I’ll be damned.” Dyo chuckled in disbelief.

“Wha-“ The man winced as he opened his eyes to bright sunlight, looking very disoriented.

“Careful, you might feel dizzy.” The doctor helped the man to a sitting position.

“What happened? I-I was...attacked. Soldiers passed by and...” He lifted his bloodstained shirt to find a shallow cut, smaller than the one that had clearly killed him.

“You’re a lucky man to have survived.” The doctor steadied the man with a hand on his back.

“Yeah...” He still looked confused, but was at least getting his bearings. He looked at the doctor, seeming to notice him for the first time. “You an actor or something?”

“Hmm? Oh,” he chuckled and briefly touched the mask on his face. “No, just a well-meaning traveler. You ought to get home as soon as you can, and rest.”

“Alright...” Still dazed, the man set off in the opposite direction.

“Thank you for not speaking up. I prefer to stay inconspicuous.” The doctor stood up and brushed off his cloak.

“Why? That was incredible! You’re a miracle worker, and you want to keep it hidden? Imagine the fun we could have telling him how you brought him back from the abyss!”

“No! If he told anyone...” He took a deep breath to calm himself. “People are suspicious of each other enough during these troubled times. If word got out that I could resurrect the dead? The best case scenario would be a life of forced servitude, the worst would be a witch burning.”

“You’re no fun,” the mask pouted.

“I do not find gambling my life to be _fun_.” He fell into angry silence.

“So, a doctor, eh?” The mask finally spoke up, mischief in his voice.

“I did say it was unorthodox.” The doctor smiled despite himself. “Besides, you haven’t been entirely honest either. Blessed by God, was it?”

“Hey, it wasn’t a total lie. I did come from the heavens, just not the ones you’re used to hearing about.”

“Right. I’m still surprised to hear that the gods of the Greek empire were...well, real.”

“Most are surprised, for good reason,” the mask replied bitterly. His good mood from before had vanished at the mention of his progenitors.

“Why do you feel such hatred towards them? They created you, did they not?” He gently prodded that particular bad memory and the mask reflexively shut him out.

“Don’t.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“I don’t want to talk about that. Please.” It felt odd having his mind vulnerable to another; he didn’t much care for it. Still, he could sense that the doctor’s apology was genuine.

“I won’t bring it up unless you want to talk. I can understand the need to keep parts of your past sheltered away.”

“Thank you.”

The silence between them for the rest of the day wasn’t as uncomfortable as either had expected. When night fell and the doctor set up a place to rest hidden from the road, the two found themselves discussing more pleasant things as though they were old friends. Dyo began to reconsider his original plan; to use the doctor to get to a more populated area and find a more...cooperative host. This wasn’t so bad, though. The doctor had taken him off to sleep and set him on the grass near him, and Dyo was able to see the stars through the treetops. He wondered how long this unusual partnership would last.


	4. The Road Less Traveled

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Going to try and make the chapters longer from here on out. Also I rewatched 035's interview tapes to get the timeline right and boy is he entertaining

Months passed, and they had settled into a familiar sort of communication. Only speaking out loud when the mood felt right, conjuring up images and feelings to clarify when needed, keeping to a small corner of their shared mindspace away from the ocean of memories from two long lifetimes.  
They spent their days moving through the countryside, avoiding towns and larger cities. Personally, Dyo Polonoi thought his host was being paranoid, but unfortunately he couldn’t do much about it. The doctor dragged him along winding routes to avoid any sort of settlement, wasted days hiding, and he adamantly refused to let him speak to anyone.

This last condition was especially infuriating to the mask. He was made to perform, not be hidden away! The doctor even took to removing the mask when speaking to others so no one would question him about it. Dyo would lament for hours after he was allowed back out, but the doctor ignored him. Still, this rule wasn’t negotiable. He knew that as soon as the doctor felt unsafe he would abandon him. Some thanks that would be, after keeping him company through so many long days and nights.

At least he was worn sometimes to translate. They had been lucky to run into many who spoke English, but they were in the Middle East, and the only other language the doctor spoke was French. Dyo, however, knew dozens of languages. One of the perks of having direct access to people’s brains. His Hungarian wasn’t great, but it was enough for the people on the small farm they happened across one day.

“ _Our daughter is sick, please, can you help her?_ ” A stocky man had his arm around an equally muscular woman; they had approached the pair as soon as they noticed the doctor’s garb. The mask spoke to them in their language.

“ _Of course. Can you show us…me to her?”_ It was easy to forget he was speaking as his companion so as to not draw attention. They were led into a small bedroom; it was clearly the couple’s room, they must have moved their daughter there to be away from their other children. Not sure what to do, Dyo prompted the doctor to take over. He knelt by the bed and examined the girl.

“Ask the parents to leave. They might catch her sickness,” the doctor silently asked Dyo. He spoke and the parents left the room, looking at each other with a worried expression.

“What’s the verdict, doc?” Dyo spoke into his mind.

“She is dying. I’m glad we came along this route, another doctor wouldn’t have been able to help at this stage. All we can do is wait, unfortunately.”

“Alright, wait it is then.” The mask sighed. “And here I was hoping we’d make it to the next village by tomorrow.”

“A girl is dying, Dyo, have some respect!”

“So? She’s just going to come back anyway.”

“Yes, but it’s painful. This sort of disease attacks the lungs, she can barely breath at the point.”

“Aren’t you worried about catching it? I’d rather not have to wait around for another host because you dropped dead.”

“I won’t get sick.” The doctor sat down on a nearby chair, placing a hand over the girl’s comfortingly as she coughed. “I’ve somehow managed to avoid getting sick my entire life. I’m not sure why, exactly.”

“I guess you’re hardier than most. It could explain why you’ve not let me take over.”

The doctor scowled. “Maybe. It’s been a blessing, though. It’s almost as though I was meant to be a healer.”

“A healer who can’t cure anyone. You have to wait around for them to die.” Dyo could tell he had struck a nerve with that. He only meant to annoy the doctor for not letting him out, but now he was deeply upset. “I bet I could help with that. I do tend to bring out the best in people, and I know you’ve got it in you.”

“Absolutely not.” The doctor got up and began to pace restlessly. “You’ve done nothing but try to trick me into getting what you want, why should I trust you?”

“Alright, alright. You could have just said no.” Dyo would have rolled his eyes if he could. He could roll the doctor’s eyes, maybe, but he had a feeling that wouldn’t go over well. “I’m not lying about anything, you know. I do miss getting to talk to people, and I wish you would let me.”

“You know why that’s not a good idea.”

“Come on, you already run around raising the dead, how could being seen with a mask be so horrible?”

“I don’t-“ Their mental conversation was cut off by a coughing fit from the girl. The doctor rushed over and tried to move her into a more comfortable position. She didn’t stop, and blood began to spill from her mouth. The doctor rubbed her back and whispered comfort to her as she shuddered and lay still. His heart wrenched in grief at the pain she must have suffered for so long before dying.

“Better do it quick before the parents come back,” the mask prompted.

“Right…” The doctor pushed back his grief and touched the girl’s forehead. She coughed one last bit of blood from her lungs and began to breathe normally again.

“ _Come,”_ Dyo helped her out of bed and into the main room, where the parents had clearly both been crying. “ _She is well again.”_ The family embraced and cried again.

“ _How can we ever thank you?_ ”

“ _Some money for food would be nice.”_

“Dyo…” the doctor mentally scolded.

“ _But of course no thanks is needed,”_ he sighed.

The family did give them a bag of bread and fruit to send them off.

“You do need to eat, you know. You ought to start asking for money,” Dyo mentioned as they walked.

“I couldn’t ask people to give what little they have in exchange for their lives. They could never say no, even if it meant they starved later.”

“Then just ask the rich.”

“None of them live out here.”

Dyo sighed. “I miss people.”

“Don’t tell me you’ve gotten bored of me already.”

“Yes! I have! I used to perform for crowds of more people than we’ve seen in the past year!” Dyo flared their arms out dramatically. “I helped _Orestia_ win at the Dionysia festival!”

“Helped who win?”

“The plays! _Orestia_! Do you not pay any attention when I tell you stories?”

“You’ve told so many I forget which is which.”

“It was only one of the most popular trilogies in Greece! A dramatic tale of family betrayal and murder!”

“I’m sure it was lovely, but I’m just not as interested as you in theater.”

“Interested!?” Dyo stuttered indignantly. “The theater is my _life_. I was born from it, I grew from the actors who wore me, and you have the _nerve_ …to call it a hobby?”

“You know I didn’t mean it like that.”

“Ugh, I can’t live like this! You’ve kept me out of the spotlight for far too long.”

“Then why don’t you just leave?” The doctor was really irritated now. “You’ve been insufferable lately and frankly, I have had it! I did just fine on my own.”

“Well, I _would_ if I could, but in case you haven’t noticed, I am an inanimate object!” 

“Fine, then I’ll find someone else.” The finality of the statement was not lost of either of them and they fell silent. Even to each other; as the doctor walked on, Dyo thought silently to himself. He hadn’t really thought the doctor disliked him, but now he had directly stated that he wanted to get rid of him. Did he really mean it, or had Dyo just pushed him too far? He wanted to reach out and at least see what he was thinking, but he had to admit he was offended enough to refuse to make the first move toward amends. Besides, he didn’t want to seem like a coward at the thought of being left alone. Abandoned, even. No, that was something he got over long ago.

The doctor wasn’t faring much better. How could the mask not see how irritating he could be? I mean, being enthusiastic is one thing, but he would go on and on about things the doctor knew nothing about, and then get upset when he wasn’t interested. He had taken to just silently nodding and tuning him out when he spoke. And the risks he wanted him to take… god the man was selfish. Only he wasn’t a man, was he? What was he even doing here? The doctor had seen into his mind, yes, but he could still be hiding something, strange being that he was. He had no idea what he was really capable of. It was almost enough to scare him, if he hadn’t become so angry with him in the past few hours. The doctor stubbornly ignored him, as well as the guilty feeling pooling in his gut.

He removed the mask to sleep that night. Sometimes he would leave him on, and they would both have strange dreams involving the other’s memories. Those were always a gamble, sometimes the doctor would wake with a warm feeling after performing some dramatic scene, other times he would wake gasping for air as waves threatened to drown him. He was nervous about what the other saw, and what he might think of him. The doctor shook away those worries, telling himself that soon this whole ordeal would be over.

He dreamt of his family that night. A lot of his past was fuzzy, but he remembered them. Most of his young adulthood he spent with his brother and his wife and kids. He never regretted not marrying; he loved them all as his own. They had two girls who were always excited to see him, and he would never admit it, but seeing that child die today had reminded him of them and tore him up inside. The dream was one he had before; the day he left to work as a doctor. He had hoped that he would be able to bring back enough money for them, and that him being gone would ease their financial burdens a bit.

For a while he was able to return and stay with them a while, but he eventually realized they were growing old without him. They were susceptible to disease too; one year his brother’s wife got sick and died. He tried everything he could to care for her, but in the end it took her. The kids grew up and left, then also got old and passed, then he was left alone. It still hurt sometimes, but he tried focusing on other things. It felt good to be able to see people get back lives that were torn away from them. The doctor lay still for a while after he woke. He really didn’t want to face Dyo right now. Eventually though he would have to start the day’s travel.

He was gone. The place where the mask lay nearby was empty. The doctor bolted up and look around the camp. Everything else was gone too. The small fire he had lit was out, his bag was missing, even the bag of food was not there anymore. Panicking, he looked around for any sort of evidence of what happened. The dirt around him had been recently disturbed, and it looked like whatever had been here went to the road.

It was people, it had to be. No animal would take everything. Likely it was someone looking to rob and sell people’s possessions. It would explain why they took the mask too, something like that would be valuable. Oh God, what if they had realized and done something to him? Would they? Would he have the good sense to keep quiet? He had to go after them. Even if he hadn’t just lost all his worldly possessions, he couldn’t just leave Dyo to whatever horrible fate could come to pass. He took off in the direction of the tracks. It didn’t look like they were on horseback, maybe he could catch up. God, he hoped they weren’t armed.


	5. Performing Duo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I researched actual dialogue for this chapter, I give up trying the make the language period-accurate but hey, this is for fun lol  
> i still would love feedback if you feel like commenting tho!

By midday, the doctor still hadn’t seen any sign of the thieves. He was beginning to tire, and he could barely keep pace faster than a jog. Dyo was right about helping with his physical needs, he easily noticed the difference now that they were separated. The stolen food would be nice right about now too. His only hope was that the thieves had stopped to rest long enough for him to catch up. An hour later, though, he found it too difficult to go on, so he stopped to rest, just for a moment. Were there any towns along this road? Maybe they had stopped there, or someone had seen them. Just as he was about to continue, he saw a scuffed patch of dirt near the road. It was long shot, but it was possible that they moved into the woods to rest. He decided to risk it.

He found more footprints and broken branches and quickly moved further into the woods. At the sight of rising smoke from a small fire, his heart leapt. He crept closer, trying to stay behind trees. There was a group of men with a few tents set up, and sure enough, he saw his bag by one of them. Dyo had to be somewhere around here. He didn’t know how he was going to get any closer without them seeing him, and he didn’t want to try until he knew where the mask was.

His predicament was ended for him as one of the men spotted him through the branches. He shouted for the others and the doctor was forced to run the other way. He didn’t make it but a few steps when another shout came from nearby. He spun around to see another thief approaching from the woods. Suddenly, he was on the ground, a large branch appearing along his path. He cursed his bad luck as the thieves surrounded him. Two of the larger ones grabbed him by the arms and dragged him back to the camp. Struggling proved useless, and he was taken in front of a man who appeared to be the leader. They spoke in a language he didn’t understand, and dread filled his heart.

This is it. This is how he would die, alone and undiscovered in the woods. He tried once more to break free, but one of the men pulled out a knife and held it to his throat. The doctor stopped breathing, terrified. The thieves seemed to be arguing; it was worse not knowing what they said and when they would attack. The knife was removed from his neck and he squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for it to come back and sink into his flesh. It didn’t come, and a man behind him yelped. One of his arms was freed, and he turned around just in time to see the other man fall to the ground. Behind him, one of the thieves had a club raised, and he was wearing a familiar mask.

“Get down!” Dyo shouted and the doctor dropped to the ground. The other thieves went for the mask, but the surprise attack confused them just enough for him to take advantage of their disorganization. When the last man fell, he extended a hand to the doctor. “Are you hurt?” He helped him up with ease.

“Just bruised. I…thank you. You saved my life.”

Dyo shrugged. “I would have had a time getting out of here, I would have had to knock them out eventually.

“You…why are you one of them?”

“Oh, this gentleman?” Dyo chuckled and looked down at his body. “He was the one who picked me up. I convinced him to put me on when they stopped here. Promised him untold riches and such.”

“I cannot believe….you…” The doctor was torn between exasperation and admiration.

“I know you aren’t keen on the whole lying thing, but it was the only way. I was going to come back for you.”

“You were? But I thought you wanted to leave?”

“I didn’t want to without checking to see if you were serious.” He looked down at the ground shyly. It was odd; the doctor had never seen him express body language before, outside of his own.

“I’m glad you didn’t. I was worried they break you, or…something horrible.”

“No, I would’ve convinced them not to.” Dyo laughed. “I can be very persuasive.”

“I’m almost afraid to ask what that means,” the doctor chuckled.

“That’s a story for another time.”

“I didn’t really want you to go.”

“I guessed. But I’m glad I know now.”

“Did you really want to leave?”

“No. But I don’t want to travel the same way forever. I need more human interaction. I like you and all, but…you know.”

“I supposed it isn’t fair for me to restrict you so much. But I do worry about what could happen if people found out about me…and you.”

“I can take care of myself, you saw that today. And believe me, you aren’t in as much danger with me around.”

“I do believe you, now.”

“So…partners?” Dyo extended his hand. The doctor shook it.

“Partners again. Are you going to keep the body?”

“For now. I could use a break from sharing for a while. It won’t last forever, though.”

“That’s fine. I’ll take you back when the time comes.”

“You’re such a sweetheart,” the mask joked.

“We should get moving before they wake up.”

“Lead the way.” Dyo gave an exaggerated bow.

A near death experience can do wonders for a friendship. The two spent most of their traveling time talking and laughing. It was easier to talk when you weren’t trying to close off part of your mind as well. Dyo learned more about what the doctor did before they met. He even told him a bit about his family. Dyo repaid his trust by telling him more about Hera, and what she had done to Crete.

“I was so foolish. The people began to see me as one of the gods, and I played right into it. It was nice to be loved so much. But Hera found out because of them, and they all died for it. They were wiped out by the sea.”

“That’s awful. I…I don’t know what to say.” The doctor remembered his dreams of drowning, and they were all the more horrifying knowing what had happened.

“There isn’t anything to say. She destroyed my life, so I destroyed hers. We’re even now.” He laughed bitterly.

“They must have been so important to you. I’m sorry.”

“Yeah.”

When he was in a better mood, Dyo would talk about his time in the theater. The doctor now listened as he described the actors who wore him, the roles they would play, and the performances that brought him so much joy. It was amazing how much life he put into his stories, almost as though the people who wore him were brought to life once again by his words.

“Oh! I have an idea!” Dyo shouted, startling the doctor.

“What is it?”

“I could perform! For those you resurrect; it wouldn’t be suspicious for an actor to be wearing a mask. And it would be so much fun!”

“For them, or for you?”

“Both! Pleeeease? It would be wonderful to be on the stage again!” he begged, clasping his hands in front of him.

"Argh, fine! This better not cause any trouble for us."

The next body they came across belong to a woman killed by looting soldiers. She was distruaght when she woke up, and an eager Dyo stepped in to comfort her. He rectied from memory a monologue, something the death of a king. The doctor had no idea what it was from; even the language seemed unfamiliar, though it was his same English. The woman didn't seem to get it either, but her face lit up at his antics. She seemed to feel better as she walked away. 

"That was interesting," the doctor said.

"I think she liked it! That one is one of my favorites."

"It was quite a long script, I'm impressed that you had the whole thing memorized."

"Oh, doctor, I have so many scripts memorized," he said with glee. 

And so it went; the doctor would bring some poor sould back to life, and the mask would usher them in with some entertainment. Many seemed to appreciated it, while some seemed confused. The doctor grew to look forward to watching him perform, and of course Dyo loved every minute of it. 

"Why don't you try a scene with me? I'm running out of scenes I can do alone."

The doctor laughed, "No, I don't think so."

"Come on, why not?"

"I don't have nearly your level of experience. Or any experience at all."

"That shouldn't stop you from trying!"

"I really would rather not. It doesn't seem very apprealing." He quickly changed tunes when the mask frowned in dissapointment. "But I do love watching your performances! Don't mistake my reluctance for lack of interest."

"I appreciate that. But the stage is meant to be shared!" He clasped the doctor's hand in his own. "Just one scene. That's all I ask."

"Well, I suppose I can't say no when you ask so nicely." He grinned nervously. "Make it a short one, please."

Dyo chose a scene from _The Tempest_ ; he claimed to have worked with the writer Shakespeare in the past. It was no surprise to the doctor that he had turned up with such a popular man. 

"You will play Prospero, and I Ariel. Ah, I remember playing her a few years ago. Such a talented actress I was with."

"How many lines are there?"

"I'll just teach you part of the scene." He learned them as they walked, spending all quiet moments of the day practicing. They had nothing to write with, but Dyo's memory was consistant enough that he was able to remind the doctor of a line whenever he forgot. No sooner had he started to become confident, they happened across someone he decided to ressurect. 

"Young sir, prepare yourself for the performance of a lifetime!" Dyo anounced. The doctor was already red with embarassment. The mask nodded at him reassuringly, and he began.

"The time 'twixt six and now must by us both be spent most preciously." He nearly stuttered.

"Is there more toil? Since thou dost give me pains, let me remember thee what thou hast promised, which is not yet perform'd me." The mask spoke strongly, ennunciating his words in just the right places. The doctor froze. He knew his next line, but he felt suddenly trapped under the man's gaze. He opened his mouth uselessly and no words came out. "It's alright," Dyo whispered. "Ignore the audience and focus on me." He took a deep breath and continued.

"How now? Moody? What is't thou canst demand?"

"My Liberty."

They finished the scene without anymore mistakes and the man appluaded. The doctor laughed nervously. 

"That was wonderful!" Dyo seemed very pleased with himself. "See? It wasn't so hard."

"That's easy for you to say. I felt like I was close to fainting."

"Was it really that difficult?"

"It was. I know you enjoyed it, but I didn't at all. I did try, really."

"It's alright, I believe you." The mask sighed. "Thank you for the attempt, at least. It was fun to perform with you."

The rest of the day was awkward between them. The doctor felt guilty for not living up to his friend's expectations. When had he begun to think of his as his friend? It must have been sometimes after the encounter with the thieves. The transition was unnoticeable, as though it was such a simple step. Yet, it had been so long since he had anyone he considered a friend. 

Dyo felt equally guilty for pushing him to do something he didn't want to. In the end, he couldn't force someone to like something that they didn't. Well, at least not someone besides his host. The man he was currently possesing was beginning to influence him more; he was a man of action, the kind to not let an argument go unresolved for long. That kind of personality had its benefits, but it was hard now that Dyo was having trouble letting things go. The body was reaching its expiration date anyway. He was almost relieved to go back to the way things were; he missed the ease of reading the doctor's emotions when they shared a body. 

That night, he had an idea.

"I won't ask you to perform again if you don't want to. But..." he paused to make sure the doctor was listening. "what if I performed with you? Not a dialouge like before, but together?"

"Are you asking me to wear you again?"

"You don't have to, but I think if there were a way for me to share the joy of performing, it would be much easier if you could feel it with me."

"What about the body?"

"It's nearly spent, I'll have to leave it behind eventually. I don't mind giving it up early if it means getting to do something fun together."

"If you're sure...I'm willing to try again."

"Excellent!" He fell silent.

"Oh, do you mean now?"

"Yes, if that's fine with you."

"Right." The doctor felt nervous, strangely. Wearing Dyo wasn't anything new for him, but things had changed. It was easy to say they were closer now, and that made the act so much more intimate in his mind. He told himself he was being silly, and took the mask from the man's face. The body immediately collapsed. It had started to decay and the doctor's nose wrinkled in disgust. As an afterthought, he wiped off the back of the mask before placing it on his face.

"Hello again."

"Hello." They both laughed at the absurdity of it all. 

Days later, they stood before a newly-ressurected boy.

"Did you have any particular scene in mind?" The doctor spoke silently to Dyo again.

"Hmm...oh, I have one." He stood up, brushed off their cloak, and began to speak. The doctor didn't pay much attention to the words, having taken a back seat in the mindspace, but he could feel the emotions behind them. He guessed it was another one of Shakespeare's works, a tragedy. At first he simple listened, enjoying the sound of Dyo's voice speaking so passionately. After a few moments, he began to let go of himself enough to slip into the same space at the mask; he wasn't speaking the words, but it felt as though he were performing alongside him.

Now he understood why Dyo loved it so much. It was exhillarating and powerful, convicing an audience that you were this character by convincing just a small part of yourself. He could see through their shared eyes the wonder on the boy's face, not quite understanding the whole story, but easily able to feel the emotion behind it from the fervor poured into their words. It ended all too soon, and Dyo bowed deeply. 

"I did enjoy that a lot more," the doctor smiled. They were sitting together in front of their camp that night, taking a well-deserved rest.

"I'm glad!" the mask exclaimed joyfully. "I could feel it."

"That's such a strange experience, being able to feel the same thing as someone else."

"It's new for me too."

"Really? I would have though you felt the emotions of others all the time."

"It's difference when it's a concious person. I do feel desires and urges from my hosts from time to time, but it's never on the same level as what I feel. It's like...if a voice was speaking inside your head. But with you, it's like the voice _is_ your head, like you're the same person. Does that make sense?"

"I'm not sure," he chuckled. "But I know the feeling you described."

"I like it. It's the same sort of feeling you get with a good work partner, or a lover."

"I-I wouldn't know." The Doctor blushed.

"Don't tell me you're afraid of talking about love? I think we've seen more embarassing thoughts from each other," Dyo laughed.

"No, I'm not!" he said defensively. "I just...don't have much experience with that sort of thing."

"You've never had anyone?"

"No..."

"There's no shame in that. It's hard to find someone you can be that close with."

"I wanted to, for a long time." He remembered his days as a young man, always watching couples with jealousy, trying to figure out how it worked.

"Well, there's your problem," Dyo chimed in. "You're too analytical. There's no formula to love, it's different for every person."

"What about you? Why are you so confident in your wisdom?"

"Oh, I've had plenty of experience."

"Braggart."

"I'm not bragging, it's true! Romance always came easy to me. It's another form of acting, in a way."

"Doesn't that mean none of it was real?"

"Not always. I had feelings for people sometimes, but courtship is a lot about the action of it. It's like a dance; it's fun if both parties are performing equally, if not then it falls apart."

"I think you're a hypocrite. Now who's too analytical?"

"Oh, shut up." Dyo thought back to one of the good partners he had centuries ago. They could both feel the warm fondness from those memories. 

"You make it seem so easy," the doctor's voice softened. 

"It isn't. It's a lot of work for that feeling. And even then...Doctor, I..." He was taken aback at the mask's uncharacteristic shyness. "I've never been...known before. Not the way you know me."

"What...what does that mean?" 

"It's a thank you, I suppose. As long as I live, I won't forget your recognition." 


	6. Only Human

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> why did i name this chapter only human ive had the song by christina perri stuck in my head the whole time and im s u f f e r i n g

How do you begin to describe your relationship with someone you've shared a body and mind with for years? This was a question Dyo Polonoi never though he would ask, and yet, here they were. Hundreds of people now owed their lives to the strange doctor who traveled the lands wearing a strange mask. Whispers of him had begun to spread, but he did not recive the ill treatmant he had anticipated. Occassionally they encountered someone who had heard of him, but mostly they were grateful. Despite their conflict at the start, Dyo could not ask for a better partner to experience life with, nor a better audience than his appreciative "patients". Now, as he often did with more long-term hosts, he was questioning what to do next. 

It was always a sorrowful period when he felt his hosts slipping away as he reached the end of his time with them. But there was no such feeling from the doctor, and he had reason to believe it may never come. He could, if he wanted, stay with him forever. Is that what he wanted? He wasn't sure.

"What's on your mind, friend?" The doctor had noticed his companion's unusual silence.

"Does there have to be anything on my mind for me to have a quiet moment?" he deflected playfully.

"Yes, when it is you. You haven't had a quiet moment in your life, I'd wager," the doctor laughed. "Really though, is something bothering you?"

"Not exactly," Dyo sighed. "I was just wondering...are you happy?"

"Hmm...that's a difficult question to answer, but I would say overall, yes. Are you?"

"I am, more so than in a while in fact. However, it's usually around this time that I have to start making other plans."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, to put it bluntly, none of my hosts have lasted as long as you without some physical degredation. If you were normal, we wouldn't have much time left together."

"That would be a shame. Fortunately, that doesn't seem to be the case." 

"No, it doesn't. That has me thinking though, what next? Is this something you want to continue for longer?"

"Of course I would. You've brough me more joy and purpose than I've had in a lifetime, and what better way to spend the time we have than helping others?"

"I agree. This is just unusual for me, I suppose."

"There's nothing wrong with unusual. There is one thing, though..."

"Yes?"

"I think I'd like to travel somewhere else. It would be a nice change, wouldn't it? I haven't visited Europe in ages, maybe we could go there?"

"That sounds nice! I would like to meet the place you call home."

"It's settled then! I think we'll have a good time, oh, I have to introduce you to Charlotte, the two of you would get along well."

"How will that work? I mean, it will be difficult to even hold a conversation with the two of us."

"Maybe we could find you another body? Someone who has passed recently?"

"It would still be strange."

"True, but what isn't about the two of us?" The doctor laughed. Dyo had to agree, but he kept wondering what it would be like. 

They did decide on finding Dyo a new host after all. The descision was made for them, rather, when they came across a recently decseased soldier. The doctor rarely decided to bring back soldiers, too many had spread more death than they prevented. This one was still in good condition, so he handed over the mask, and Dyo came back as someone new. They had done this a few times before, when they both wantedspace, or when a situation called for both of them seperately. Always the recently dead; the doctor had to convice a reluctant Dyo at first, but he eventually grew to feel better about it.

His feelings toward humans had changed a lot in the past few years. He felt more for those he took over for; their fears, their regrets, their sorrow. Sometimes it was too much, and he would abandon the body and go back to his doctor. It always felt shameful, running from pain that was not even his own, but he couldn't help taking it on his own heart. At least the doctor was always comforting and reassuring.

"It's alright to feel overwhelmed, you don't need to feel ashamed of it."

Dyo had come back from a particularly pained host; a woman who had been murdered in cold blood. "But I shouldn't be letting it get to me like this! It's so frustrating to waste a perfectly good body on something this trivial."

"What that woman went through wasn't trivial. It's only human to feel for her."

"But I'm not...human..." 

"Aren't you?" The doctor placed his hand over both the mask and his own face, a gesture they had both taken to using to comfort the other. "You've lived in the minds of humans your whole life, you're as passionate as any artist. I don't see why you would be so different from us." Dyo took a deep breath to calm himself. 

"Maybe you're right. It's...I don't know, I feel overwhelmed a lot lately."

"That's very human as well," the doctor chuckled. "Whatever you need, you know I'm here."

The mask lay still in the soldier's body for a few moments, letting everything from the man's life wash over him. He tried not to focus too much on any one event he just...let it all happen. He felt more settled in, and stood up.

"Well, I don't know if it'll last all the way to Europe, but it's good enough for an entrance!" The two continued their journey, arm in arm.

They came across a merchant along the road towards Italy. He mostly sold fabrics, but he had a few good pairs of walking boots, which was a lucky find. The doctor's shoes were nearly worn out.

"Where are you travellers headed?" he asked amicably as they looked through his wares.

"Towards Brittania. I'm visiting my home town," the doctor replied.

"Quite a long ways, I hope ye've got enough provisions."

"I think this will be enough to get us at least to Italy. That's likely where we'll be staying for a bit before we continue."

"I just came from Italy meself, bad omens there, let me tell ya."

"What do you mean?" Dyo looked up from where he was examining some silk.

"Some say there's a dark cloud settling over the place. Whole countryside was in a panic by the time I left. More people had died than in the whole last winter season in a matter of days."

"That sounds awful." The doctor frowned

"I'm glad I left when I did. You be careful when you're going back, I don't know what's killin' everyone off, but you best make sure it doesn't get you too."

"We will, thank you for the warning."

"I wonder what that all meant?" Dyo commented as they parted ways with the merchant. "He was being awfully cryptic."

"It could have been just superstition, but the deaths do have me worried. If he's telling the truth, we should keep a careful eye out."

The ominous warning was forgotten over the next few days as they made it closer to Europe. Once they realized they had crossed the border, they celebrated that night around the campfire with some cakes they had bought off a passing merchant.

"It's too bad we don't have wine, that would finish this all off nicely," Dyo was thoroughly enjoying the perks of having a physical form of his own. He stretched out on the ground, looking as pleased as a cat in front of a hearth. 

"You're never satisfied, are you?" The doctor shook his head fondly at the mask.

"I am right now. I was just thinking back to those symposiums I had with Plato."

"You knew Plato? I don't know I'm surprised at this point, but I bet you have some interesting stories."

"Oh, plenty. He showed up to a lecture so hungover once that he vomited in front of everyone. I was with one of his students at the time, and we would always have fun discussing philosphy over copious amounts of wine." 

"Goodness, how did you get away with that?"

"You modern people and your temperance. Back then, wine was a gift from the gods, to be cherished and enjoyed. I can't believe the church is condemning it now, the bastards." 

"I don't think it's such a bad thing, people can get extremely vulgar drunk."

"Hmph. As if they aren't already sober."

"You're just grumpy you can't drink." The doctor elbowed him playfully in the side

"Ah, stop, this one's ticklish!" he scrambled away laughing.

"Alright, alright. I'll be using that against you, you know."

"You devil!" He moved back over and lay his head on the doctor's shoulder. He did sometimes miss the connection they had when he was in another body, but touch usually eased those feelings of loneliness. The doctor nestled closer to him. "Are you nervous?"

"A bit," he replied. "It's been so long since I've seen them. What if everyone's changed too much?"

"Even if they have, they'll still care about you. How could they not?"

"That's very sweet of you."

"I mean it!"

"I know. Thank you."

"Anytime, dear."


	7. Storm Over Udine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've decided this takes place in the 1600's, based on the timeline of events in Sedition, when doctors started wearing masks, etc. The plague started much sooner but this is when the killings really took off in Europe. Weirdly enough, current...events have really sparked my interest in old pandemics and how they were handled, so I'm doing a lot of research

Italy seemed to be deserted. Those in the countryside were going about their buisness undisturbed, but every town they passed was silent. Dyo wanted to stop, but the doctor insisted on pressing on. His every instinct told him something was very wrong, and he at least wanted to reach a larger city where more people might know what was going on. After weeks of travel in solemn silence, they reached the city of Udine. 

It was not as quiet as the smaller towns, but it was certainly less busy than expected. People walked with their heads down, hurrying to their destinations. The air carried a heavy odor, one the doctor did not reconize but did nothing to ease his nervousness.

"We should find somewhere to stay, we could be here for a while." Dyo broke him out of his worrying.

"Oh, right. Help me keep an eye out for an inn." They found one a few streets down; a rundown wooden building that looked like it had been there since the city was founded. It was probably the best they could afford.

"Upstairs, first door on the right." The old, grizzled innkeeper handed them a key. The doctor nodded in thanks. The room was small, but more comfortable than they had in a while. Dyo collapsed onto one of the beds, sighing contentedly. 

"We should stay in actual rooms more often." He frowned when the doctor didn't respond. "We'll figure out what's going on soon enough. Just try to enjoy the rest while we can."

"I know, I know. I just...really don't like this. Everyone seems so scared. I feel like we should be scared too."

"We have nothing to be afraid of, you know we've survived whatever's been thrown at us." Dyo grabbed the doctor's hand and pulled him down to sit on the bed. "Come on, it's been forever since we've had some time to relax."

"You're right. I could use the rest..." He finally lay down and was asleep in second. Dyo patted his head affectionately and got up to unpack their few belongings. 

The doctor had to admit it was nice to not travel for a few days. He settled into a routine; his money wouldn't last long, so he made a deal with the innkeeper to help with the work in exchange for their room. He spent his afternoons cleaning and learning to cook from the old owner. He was a kind man, despite his grumpy attitude. The doctor learned that his name was Mateo, and the inn had been the family buisness for generations. He thought it was strange that a doctor was working for him, but it wasn't his place to judge. He asked questions about his "odd friend". The doctor gave non-committial answers. It was all very...ordinary. Which was unordinary for the doctor. He wasn't sure if he liked it or not. 

Dyo never liked to stay cooped up, so he explored the city. He kept an eye out for any sort of artistic center, like a bee searching for flowers. The city didn't have much in the way of entertianment; Sunday mass was the closest thing people got to a show. Still, it was something, so he went. It was dissapointing. Catholics never knew how to have a good time. He stumbled across a gem one lucky afternoon: a painter. The man was sitting in the town center, easel and paints set up in a quiet corner. 

"You've got talent." Dyo leaned over his shoulder and admired the half-finished still life. 

"Goodness, you scared me!" The man jumped. "Thank you, though. I don't often get strangers complementing me out of the blue."

"I happen to have a strong appreciation for the arts. Are there many other painters in this city?"

"There used to be. Now it's just me. Trade has been drying up so a lot of people have given up and left."

"That's a shame. Any particular reason why?"

"Beats me. I know money's been tight for a lot of people all over. Except the nobility of course."

"As usual." Dyo sighed, annoyed. "I'm glad there's at least _some_ culture left in this wasteland."

"I have to agree with you there. This city used to be a great trade center. Now I can barely get a commission. My family isn't doing much better; I live alone but my sister and her husband are nearby and they've both fallen ill." 

"I'm sorry to hear that. What with?"

"The plague. More and more people have been catching it, I'm starting to worry about my own safety."

"I thought the plague died out decades ago?"

"Hmph, where have you been?"

"The Middle East."

"Well, it did for a while, but that curse has never left us. Just biding it's time. May God save us all." The man turned back to his paints. "I best get back to my work. I'd like to finish this before I visit my sister tonight." Dyo left the painter with an uneasy feeling.

He recounted the story to the doctor that night in their room. The candles barely pushed back the darkness and they flickered weakly. The two sat close together on the edge of the bed, as though that would help ward off the darkness.

"The plague? Oh no, that's not a good sign if it's reached here."

"Why?" Dyo asked.

"Because it spreads like wildfire! I treated a few people with it long ago and it's a difficult disease. Oh god, this could be what everyone's afraid of."

"That makes sense. Should we do anything about it?"

"Well, you and I aren't in any danger. But I have to find out if I can help those who have it already."

"You think we can do anything about it?"

"I don't know, but I have to try. Wait, what do you mean 'we'?"

"I'm coming to help you, of course."

"Dyo, you don't have to..."

"Just you try and stop me. I may not know much about medicine, but if I can make it easier for you then I will."

"I...thank you."

"You know I wouldn't leave you to bear this alone." The mask gently placed his host's hand on the side of the doctor's face, a mirror of the gesture he would do in his body. The doctor sighed and placed his own hand over his, leaning into the comforting touch.

"I know you wouldn't. We can go look for a hospital tomorrow." 

There was one nearby. The two confirmed what they had suspected for a long time, they were in one of the poorest parts of the city. The hospital was in bad shape; walls were crumbling and covered with ivy, a few windows on the upper floors were broken, and the smell was atrocious. The doctor realized with horror that the smell had permeated the city even far away. The stench of the dying was no stranger to them, but never had they encountered it on this scale. 

A middle-aged woman greeted them inside. She looked as though she was once a matronly figure, but now she was haggard and worn down. 

"We can't accept any more patients. I'm sorry, but there are no beds left."

"We're not patients, we're here to help. I'm a doctor, and my friend is not of the trade but he's a good worker."

"What?" She stopped hurrying and started at the two of them. "You're looking for a job? I'm afraid the hospital can't afford to take on any more doctors, there isn't enough money."

"I don't need much, I'll work for whatever you can afford." The doctor's brow furrowed. This was worse that he had thought.

"Suit yourself." The woman sighed and gestured for them both to follow. "Those clothes of yours look ancient, we have some spare robes in the back. Do you need to borrow any tools?"

"I brought my own, they should be enough."

"Good. You there, you can take off the mask and leave it here."

"I'd rather not. It's for...protection." Dyo tensed.

"Fine, just don't blame me if you lose it." After they had changed, she led them to a large set of doors to the main hall. "Fair warning, the smell is worse inside. Those cloths don't help much." She pushed and the doors swung open onto a scene of horror. Dyo was reminded vividly of the soldier's medical tents he had been in. Bodies lay on the floor alongside the few beds they had. People were coughing and moaning in pain. The only thing missing was lots of blood, though there was some coming from boils on people's skin that they had scratched open. 

"Well, you haven't vomited yet, that's a good sign." The woman knelt next to a patient near the entrance who looked worse off than the others. "You there, what's your name?"

"I...don't have one," the doctor responed.

"Jesus Christ. Alright, fine, doctor, most of them need water. There's a pitcher over on that wall. Do you have a name?" She glared at the mask.

"Dyo Polonoi, at your service." 

"You help, Mr. Polonoi. I'm called Anna." 

The doctor's heart sank as he saw how many were in the late stages of the disease. Pustules covered nearly everyone's skin, and some were coughing so hard they could barely breathe. A woman grabbed his arm as he passed her to give out water.

"Please, doctor, I don't want to die. Help me, please." Her voice was barely audible, and she did look on the verge of death. He folded her hand back so that it was resting on her stomach and held it comfortingly. 

"It will be alright. I won't let you all die." He may not be able to fight the disease, but he had his work cut out for him.


	8. A Pocket Full of Posies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll probably have to update less frequently since ive been busy lately. Don't worry though, I'm still writing when I can! I've loved making this fic and I really appreciate the kind feedback <3

The people in town called it "The Black Death". It came swiftly and killed slowly, painfully. The hospital was filled with the sounds of desperate prayers, some whispered privately while some called out to try and drown out the groans and coughs. Sometimes it was too much for the doctor, and he would hide in a quiet corner somewhere and force himself to breathe slowly. 

Still, he persisted. He didn't talk much anymore; during their shared nights at home, Dyo was constantly torn between wanting to respect his space and trying to distract him with anything pleasant, anything at all. Not much helped, but damn if he wasn't going to try. Despite the pity he felt, no it wasn't pity, he now shared in his sorrow, the mask couldn't help but admire his tenacity during all this. He would help a little, where he could, but mostly he just left the doctor to his work. The man was fervent in his tasks, moving quickly to help as many people as he could, with the confidence of a man who knew he was in no danger. 

And after their struggle was done, behind the scenes he would bring the dead back to life. A few had caught on that they had been gone, but none of them mentioned it, merely thanking the good doctor. These moments made him feel better, like it was all worth it. Ironically, he began to feel more at ease among the dead than the living. The fact made him uncomfortable, but he appreciated the break from his odd spells of panic during the day. 

It was a gruesome routine, but Dyo knew it couldn't last. Surrounded by disease as he was, it was only a matter of time before his body wore out. He knew it was happening, he knew it could get sick and while he wouldn't feel it, it would certainly begin to impair him. He tried to drag it out as long as he could, ignoring his lungs as they began to shut down, but eventually it became clear, at least to his doctor, that the disease was in his body.

"You're sick?! How?" He unbuttoned the body's shirt to examine the boils growing on its skin.

"This body is mortal, even though I'm not. They break down sometimes."

"You...you're..." the doctor paced and pulled at his hair in frustration. "You're dying!"

"I am NOT dying, come on, you're smarter than this."

"I know you're not really dying! But...how could you not tell me?!" He looked furious now.

"Because I knew it wasn't important! I didn't think you would overreact like this!"

"Overreact! I...I watch people suffer...day and night," he was stuttering in his anger, and Dyo was beginning to worry. "You really thought I wouldn't be upset by this?!"

"Look, I'm sorry, but-Doc, look at me." He gently grabbed his arm, forcing his to stay still. "I am _fine_. This just means I'm losing the body a little earlier than we thought. I'm safe, you're safe, it's alright." He hugged him close until his breath began to slow. "I am sorry, truly. I should have thought more about how you would feel. I promise, I only meant to not give you more cause to worry." 

"I believe your intentions were pure, but...Dyo it's so easy to forget that these things don't affect you. I really thought, just for a moment, that you would have to suffer through this awful illness. Even for that moment...I don't want to lose you. You're my dearest friend. More than that..." He pulled away and gazed up at his face. His real face, not what everyone thought was underneath. Only he saw him for what he really was. The though made his heart melt.

The mask ran his fingers through the doctor's hair. Shame, really, that he had to leave this body so soon. He would miss holding him like this. The weight of their closeness hung in the air before them, neither wanting to break the silence. 

"I should go to sleep soon." The doctor sighed.

"Of course." He reluctantly stepped back. 

The doctor didn't sleep for hours. He knew they would have to get rid of the decaying body soon, then Dyo would be back with him. That would be a relief, but... he didn't know if he was ready for him to see the thoughts that he couldn't put into words. He had meant it when he said they were more than friends, but what did that mean, exactly? The doctor knew he loved his companion, deeply, how could he not after so many years of looking out for each other? Yet, even after all that, recently he had felt more. Simply coming home to find him waiting there for him warmed his heart beyond belief. And his dedication to helping people even though it hardly did any good, sometimes he believed the mask was more human than some men. And he loved him as one, yes, when he could see him breathe and laugh and all sorts of other things, he looked so...well, human. Not that he loved him any less as a constant presence within him. 

It was a slippery slope, love. As soon as the thought entered his mind, the doctor could not stop thinking it. It changed so much, and yet, nothing was really different. They still found comfort in each other, still worked and lived together. He supposed he might have realized it sooner if he had though about how natural living with him felt. Eventually, the day came when Dyo's broken body began to draw suspicion, and they left under the cover of night to bury it outside the city. 

"I might be one of the only beings alive that will remember digging my own grave," the mask joked as he helped the doctor mark out a place to lay the body.

"Goodness, I shouldn't find that as funny as I do," he laughed. It was the first time he had in a while, and it made something deep within Dyo Polonoi warm.

He hesitated before placing the mask over his face once the body was buried. When he did, Dyo didn't even notice a difference until after they had arrived back in the room. He had suspected for a while that the doctor had felt this affection toward him, even if the man himself didn't realize it. Of course, the mask had recognized the feeling within himself easily. Love was familiar to him, though he hadn't felt it this deeply...maybe ever. Mostly it was just another way to entertain himself, to pass the time. This nameless man, though, had found his way into his heart for real. It was funny how easily the other had begun to feel like home. 

Their new happiness was short lived, as the day brought another long shift at the hospital. More sick people were there than ever and all the doctors were kept busy. The doctor and his mask worked better now as a single unit, the mask would give his advice from centuries of medical knowledge built up within him, and the doctor would perform procedures with practiced hands. He was reluctant to follow his advice at first, as it went against everything he had learned, but when it came down to it he trusted him. However, the other doctors were not as accepting of these new ideas.

"Sir, the wound needs to continue bleeding, why are you bandaging it?" A particularly stern doctor approached them as they worked to stem the flow of a patient that Dyo had noticed was showing signs of extreme blood loss.

"He has bled enough already, too much more and he won't have any strength left." 

"I had hoped you were telling the truth when you said you were an expert, but clearly you have a poor understanding of the balance of humors."

"I know the theory well enough. But look at this man, he's paler than snow." 

"And you think ignoring medical science will help? Hand me those bandages, you have done enough damage."

"I am not ignoring anything! He has lost too much blood! Please, go tend to your patients and I will tend to mine."

"Enough!" The argument had drawn the attention of nearly everyone in the room. The other doctor snatched the fabric out of his hands.

" _This idiot doesn't know what he's doing, don't let him near that man,_ " Dyo whispered. 

"Sir, I assure you I know what I am doing," the doctor said firmly. 

"Clearly you do not. Leave, now, or you will be made to." 

The doctor looked around at the others, many with fear on their faces. "I am only trying to help! There are too many for you all to handle without me!"

"You have done nothing but cause trouble since you arrived. You wear a dead man's mask, you argue against practices that have been in place for years, and we won't have any more of it!" After a tense moment of the two having a staring match, he relented. Furiously, he stomped out of the room, ripping off his gloves and throwing them to the side as he left the building. Outside, he kicked at the ground and shouted. 

"How dare they refuse my help? People are dying!" 

"They don't know what they're doing, doctor, but you can still help." Dyo didn't bring it up, but he could sense that the doctor felt helpless and afraid underneath his anger.

"How? How does bringing the dead back do any good!? Just today, I saw five patients that had been here before." He sat on the ground and groaned. "They keep coming back. They just...don't get better."

"You could let me help, doctor. I told you before, you have the potential to do more. I could help you unlock it."

"You've done enough," he snapped. The mask recoiled, retreating into silence. The doctor sighed. "I'm sorry. But I can't risk it. I know you mean well, but everything you've advised has ended badly for us."

"That's because those fools won't listen to reason! Trust me, I could help you heal them for good..."

"Stop. Please...no more." The doctor was trembling. "I just want this to be over." Dyo gently reached out and embraced his mind. The doctor had been hiding how much the sickness weighed on him. Day after day he was surrounded by pain. It was like watching torture in an endless cycle, after death it would start anew with another round of infection. He knew every vivid detail of the symptoms through his study, which only made it worse. The mask did not know if anything he said would help. 

"You've been doing the best you can," he said gently. 

"It isn't enough. If anything, it's only making it worse for them. They come back, only to get sick all over again. Death would be a mercy for them."

They sat in silence, the doctor holding back tears. He stood up suddenly. "I want to go home."

"Alright. Let's do it, if that's what you really want." It felt like giving up, but what more was there to do? Dyo had no words of comfort for him. 

"We'll leave at first light tomorrow." Exhausted, he walked back to the inn to pack his belongings. 


	9. Britannia

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nearly done, the next chapter will technically be the last, then I'll add an epilogue. This fic has given me a weird search history, the FBI probably thinks im trying write a paper on the plague

The sun shone bright and hot on the road. Day used to bring brilliant light and hope after the dark hours of night, but now it brought only dread, and heat. Heat was unbearable now; it brought with it the stench of rotting bodies. The moon's face was a relief to the two travelers. Dyo wondered who was driving it, now that Selene was gone with the rest of the gods.

"Some theorize that it is like a planetary body, orbiting the earth," the doctor remarked.

"Mm, that's not as interesting."

"Few things are." The doctor sighed and sat down to rest, not bothering with a fire. Tiredness seeped into his very bones. "Do you think the gods would have stopped this, if they were still around?"

"Hard to say. If they were around I'd assume this was their doing. Sending a plague to wipe out people who pissed them off sounds like something they would do. They're petty like that."

"Maybe this is the wrath of God. It makes sense that he would come after them, right?"

"I dunno. Religion was a vacuum after Rome fell, it was inevitable that Christianity or something else would take its place. I'm not sure if their beliefs were true or if they were just the loudest voice at the time."

"I think He must be real. And angry."

"I'd believe it too, if the Crusades are any example. Then again, that was all humanity. It's incredible how often they kill each other for whatever reason they can find."

"It seems so long ago, the Crusades. But it can't have been more than a few years; it was dying down when we first met."

"Time is different for us non-mortals." The two fell into silence again. They hadn't spoken much since they left Udine days ago. Both were in a depressed mood. Dyo would sometimes wonder if they were feeding into each other's sadness and making it worse. 

"At least it will be over soon," the doctor sighed. "We'll be home and it'll all be behind us."

"Oh yes, I am excited to see your home," Dyo replied, perking up a bit. "Do you live near where you grew up?"

"Just a few miles away." The doctor smiled slightly as he reminisced. "Some of my brother's descendants moved to a town outside Bordeax and I eventually decided to follow them, and I've called the place home ever since."

"Is it a large town?"

"It was growing some when I last left, but it's generally been pretty small. Goodness, so many things will have changed. I wonder if Frederic ever opened that bakery he wanted? And dear little Abelle, she'll be all grown up now." 

"And you'll be able to speak your home language again." Dyo knew that the doctor spoke English well, but he stumbled over his words a few time, and most of his thought were in his native French. 

"My, yes, I hadn't even realized that I missed it." 

"See? It isn't so bad, you have something to look forward to."

"You're right, as usual." He lay back in the soft grass, relaxed for the first time in a while. "Goodnight, love."

They caught site of the town on the horizon a few days later, and the doctor had a spring in his step for the rest of the journey. They were greeted on the road in by a merchant with an empty cart.

"Doctor, is that you?" The man greeted him in French. "Goodness, I wouldn't have recognized you without the getup. It's been years, how have you been?" He stopped the horse and walked over to give him a firm handshake.

"Tired and ready to be home." The doctor smiled. "Still chasing after that gardener?"

"We're married now!" The man lifted his hand and showed off a simple metal ring. "She's a lovely wife, and, with luck, she'll be a lovely mother as well."

"Congratulations!"

"You want a ride back in? I'm headed there myself."

"That would be excellent, thank you." He joined the man up on the seat of the cart.

"So, what's with the mask? You into acting now?"

"No, not exactly. It's..a gift. From a close friend."

"It looks nice, although I don't think anyone will recognize you with it."

"Heh, maybe." He decided to worry about that when the time came. "How's Jeanne?"

"Oh...she was your cousin, wasn't she?" The doctor's blood ran cold at the man's words. "She's passed on, I'm afraid. I'm so sorry."

"When did it happen?" he asked, frantically wondering if he could save her. She was the last relative he knew.

"A few months back. Died of sickness. She got a nice funeral, best her family could afford." It was too late. The doctor didn't speak for the rest of the trip, grateful not for the first time that the mask hid his face. Dyo tried his best to console him silently. 

He went to Jeanne's house first. It was empty; she lived alone after her parents died. Most of her things were still there, maybe she didn't think to write a will. 

"I can't believe I wasn't here for her." The doctor was chocked up. "I could have helped. Maybe even saved her life. At least I could've brought her back."

"It wasn't your fault, you had no way of knowing," Dyo said quietly.

"I know, but...she was alone. She had no one left but me." They stood there together for a moment, the doctor quietly mourning. 

"She has a grave. They said they gave her a funeral," Dyo mentioned. "Do you want to go see it?"

"Yes." They walked to the church, the sun setting and casting fiery orange light over everything. Her grave was with the rest of his family, toward the front of the plot. He passed so many others that he knew, people who were old when he departed, others that should have had many years left. In the back of his mind, he knew that the sickness must have reached them, but he couldn't think about that now. He knelt by his family's graves, crying. 

It was dark by the time his tears ran out, and Dyo soothingly coaxed him up to find a place to sleep. As he was leaving the graveyard, he ran into a woman walking in with a small handful of flowers. She jumped when she saw him, as though she had been caught doing something she wasn't supposed to.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," the doctor said, holding his hands out in a non-threatening gesture.

"No, no, it's alright, I didn't see..." The woman sniffled, tears building at the corners of her eyes.

"Are you here to...see someone?" he asked gently.

"I...yes."

"I'm sorry." He didn't know why he was apologizing to this stranger, but he felt a kinship in their shared sorrow. "My family is in there. I didn't get to see them before..." he trailed off.

"You...wouldn't happen to be related to Jeanne?" 

"Yes, how did you know?"

The woman smiled softly. "She spoke of a great-uncle who was a doctor. Someone in her distant family who had gone to travel a few years ago."

"She did...I'm afraid I don't recognize you, have we met before?"

"No, I met Jeanne after you left. She was...a dear friend." The woman's breath hitched and she began crying again. The doctor placed a hand on her shoulder.

"We both will miss her."

"I was with her when she...when she passed. I couldn't leave her. She meant...so much to me..."

"You...you were her lover, weren't you?" The woman looked up, shocked. "It's alright, she told me long ago why she didn't marry. I'm so happy you were there for her when I wasn't."

"I tried to be. As often as I could."

"You don't know how much a relief it is that I know she didn't die alone." He laughed and hugged the woman. "Thank you."

"You're..welcome." She still looked confused, but smiled at him. "These are for her." She gestured to the flowers. "Would you like to come with me to give them to her?"

"No, I'll let you give them yourself. I need to find a place to rest."

"She told me that your house is still empty, out by the pond. If you wanted to go there."

"Thank you, I will." He clasped the woman's hand one last time. "Goodbye."

His house was indeed still in good condition. He collapsed straight onto the bed, utterly worn out from the day.

"Well, it wasn't the reunion I was hoping for," he said hoarsely.

"I'm sorry they're gone," Dyo said, running their fingers through his hair. "I know how much you wanted to see her again."

"So many others, too. The disease...can't be here, can it?"

"I think it's a possibility."

"No," the doctor groaned. "not here. Not them. I thought we were done."

"I didn't imagine it could be this widespread." 

"Fine. We'll deal with it tomorrow." The doctor dreaded the work he would have to do, but for now he couldn't take any more grief. 

"It'll be alright, love." Dyo knew it wasn't alright. "We can handle it." The doctor was asleep before he finished his sentence. "It'll be alright," he repeated to himself. 

Many were sick. Too many for him to handle. The town didn't have much in the way of medical help, so the people were doing their best to care for their families themselves. The doctor and the mask joined in without a word, going from house to house and administering what medicine they could to the sick. 

"We need a hospital," the doctor would say aloud, seemingly to himself to onlookers. "The family members are getting sick with the disease in so many houses."

"Where are we going to put them?" Dyo responded in his head.

"I don't know...we could try moving them to the empty ones. But I can't carry this many bodies, and others could get sick."

"Do you even know how the disease is spreading?"

"No, I don't!" he snapped. "All I know is that those who come in contact get sick, so we can't even let them breathe the same air." 

"Well, we can't get rid of the air."

"I know, I know! I'm trying to think..."

"The doctors in the other towns had cloth covering their faces, maybe we could tell them to try that?" 

"Some of those doctors still got sick." 

"What about those other masks? The long ones that covered the whole face?"

"I don't know how to make those! Even if I did, we couldn't afford the materials to protect the whole town!" The doctor had to start arguing with Dyo in his own home with all the looks he got. People were starting to think he was a madman. He wasn't entirely sure they were wrong, he felt mad during all this. 

"Darling, we can't stop this disease," Dyo began, hesitant.

"We have to at least try!"

"I know, but there's nothing we can do now. And we know that resurrecting them won't work forever."

"Why are you telling me what I already know?"

"Because we need to find a way to cure them, for good."

"Dyo, I don't know how to do that. No one does."

"What if you did? You can already revive the dead, I know you have the power to heal the sick as well."

"I don't."

"You could. I told you before, I could help you unlock that power." He spoke over the doctor's attempt to interrupt, "I know, you're reluctant to go that far, but think about it. We've been working together for years, I know every inch of your mind. And you know mine just as well. We've always been able to see parts of the other that they couldn't, and we've made each other better for it. This would be the same thing. I would only be helping you find what you already know."

"I don't...it sounds dangerous. What if something happened to you, or me, or both?"

"Maybe, but wouldn't that be worth the risk? I know you well enough to know that you would put yourself in whatever danger necessary to save someone. You already have, time and time again."

"You really think we could do it? Find a cure?"

"I do." 

"Alright. I trust you." The doctor took a shuddering breath. "Who should we try with first?"

"That girl you mentioned before, Abella, how old is she now?"

"18 years, I think."

"She got sick recently, and she's young enough to be at her strongest. I think she would be a good test."

"I'll talk to her father tomorrow."


	10. The Patient

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since a new sedition video on 049 is next, I'm trying to stay noncommittal with the doctor's origins lol. My theory is that he has missing memories due to some past trauma, which I feel is consistent with the canon works he is in after the events of this story.

Abella had the spirit of a fighter. The doctor was there when she was born; the baby had come out kicking and screaming and didn't calm down until her mother had rocked her to sleep. As a child she picked fights with kids twice her size, sometimes for no reason at all other than to prove she could. She mellowed out with age, but even now the doctor could see that spark in her eye. It was dimmer than it should be; the girl's coughing sounded like gravel and she winced at almost any touch to her skin. 

Her father was desperate. Abella's mother had passed, leaving him to provide and care for three children, all of which had the disease. Abella was the oldest and was by far the strongest in fighting in off. Seeing her lying there, in pain but still fighting, helped to steel the doctor's resolve. If anyone could survive this, she could. 

"I'd like to take her to my home, to keep her isolated while she recovers." He spoke reassuringly to the father. "I promise I will care for her as best as I am able." 

"Why can't you help her brother and sister?" The man was fretting with his hands, and he looked exhausted.

"The treatment I am using is a new one. I'm not sure exactly how effective it will be, so I want to start with the one that is in better health than the others."

"What are you going to do to her?" 

"Father," Abella coughed from the makeshift bed set up in the kitchen where they were talking. "I want to do it."

"Abella..." He started to protest, but as soon as her mind was made up he knew there was nothing he could say.

"If it works, then he can use the treatment to help others. Besides, I'm dying anyway," she laughed dryly. Her father walked over and gently held her hand.

"Alright. Please be careful."

"I assure you, I will." The doctor turned to Abella. "Can you walk?"

"A bit. How far is it?"

"Not far. You can lean on me if you need." 

Abella insisted on walking unsupported for most of the way, until she nearly collapsed and had to be almost carried by the doctor. He had set up an operating table in his house and helped her on to it.

"Rest now, while I prepare everything." He went into the next room to give her some quiet while he went through his supplies. "Do you think we'll need any of this?" he asked Dyo.

"I don't think so. You don't use any of it when you resurrect people."

"I want to be cautious, so I'll bring the basics." He organized various jars of herbs, solutions, and some metal tools into his bag. In front of the door to the other room, he paused and took a deep breath. "Ready?"

"Ready. We can do this." Dyo seemed much more confident than the doctor felt, but he stepped into the room determined. 

"What sort of treatment is this?" Abella asked as he lay out his supplies.

"It's not the usual kind. I may not use any of this. It's more...spiritual." 

"Does that work?"

"Sometimes. This method is usually effective though; I've altered it to help with this disease."

"Effective on what?" The doctor ignored her and focused inward. He could feel the ever-familiar presence of his mask, warm and reassuring. He wasn't exactly sure what to do.

 _"Focus on what you do when you bring back the dead_ ," Dyo whispered into his mind.

" _I...don't really do anything. It just happens when I touch them._ " he responded. 

" _Alright, try that_."

" _Do you have any idea what you're doing?"_

" _Sure I do. Just give me a minute_." The doctor rolled his eyes and lay his hand on the girl's forehead.

"Close your eyes and relax," he told her. Abella sighed and did as he ordered.

He could feel Dyo poking around in his mind, through his memories on long ago. He wasn't sure how that was relevant, but he let him. Old, old memories resurfaced of a time before he lived with his family. He wasn't even aware there _was_ a time before his family. Wouldn't he not have been born yet?

" _Doctor, why don't you know your name?"_ Dyo spoke to him softly, like he did when the doctor was feeling upset. Why was he doing that?

" _I don't..._ " The girl started coughing, wrenching him back into the present. He felt panic rise into his throat and he stopped breathing for a moment.

 _"Hey, hey, it's okay. Focus on me. You're doing fine."_ Dyo's voice was sweet, like that day in the woods all those years ago when he first called to him. The doctor forced himself to inhale. 

_"What's going on?"_

_"I don't know, parts of your brain are...blocked off."_

_"What does that have to do with...we need to help her!'_

_"I know, I know, hold on."_

The doctor's head started to hurt, but he felt something in his fingertips flare to life. He tried to focus on whatever energy Dyo was helping him channel, and directed it into Abella. For a brief, shining moment he felt her life force _flare_ , but then everything went to hell. 

He was on fire. Distantly he heard voices screaming; he couldn't tell if it was his own or someone...something else's. He looked down at his hands; there were no flames, but he still felt every nerve burning and burning. In front of him something writhed on the table. He looked at it, but that thing was no longer human. Skin was melting all over it, its eyes and mouth were open wide and a gurgling sound came from within. He took a step back, horrified. 

What...happened? There was a girl there, moments before. Where had she gone? What was he doing? Another step back and he hit a small table, rattling tools onto the ground. The screaming in his head wouldn't stop, not even when he clapped his hands to his ears and curled into a shaking mess on the floor. The...thing from the table got up and started shambling around. It wasn't acting aggressive but he was terrified of it. The screaming wouldn't stop. 

Something was dripping down his chin onto the floor. A warm, black liquid was steadily flowing faster; it bubbled up into his eyes and he frantically tried to wipe it off. Something was in the way, covering his face, making it hard to breathe. He tore it off and threw it across the room. The screaming suddenly quieted as he tried to get the liquid out of his eyes. Temporarily blinded, but still needing to get away from the creature, he stumbled up and to the side. He slammed into a wall, but quickly righted himself and searched for some kind of exit.

Finally he found a door handle. He pulled one hand away from his face to open it, using the other to scratch furiously at his eyes. Enough had been wiped away that he could see, but it was starting to burn. It wasn't much worse than the burning he was feeling in his whole body, but he still wanted it off. He ran, looking for any source of water he could use to help wash it off. There was a pond behind the house he had stumbled out of; he ran to the bank and knelt down to wash his face.

Slowly, his heartbeat quieted. The cold water made it easier to focus, and the burning was fading away. The ripples in the water faded until he could see a face reflected back up at him. He barely recognized it; obviously it must be his face, but it felt unfamiliar. He scowled, and the face scowled back. Traces of black were smeared across his cheek. He got up, disoriented. Which way had he come from? Oh, that house.

He cautiously peered around the door. A bag was knocked over and jars scattered on the floor. A looming figure plodded around the room, gurgling away. Right, this is where he came from. Carefully he gathered up the tools and jars into the bag. His bag. A doctor's bag...so he was a doctor. Of course, that made sense. So then the thing in the room was his patient. He regarded it carefully.

"Well, it isn't perfect, but the cure seems to have worked." The creature groaned back at him. "You're very welcome. Be sure to get lots of rest while you recover." Something white caught his attention in the corner of the room. A mask, with its mouth pulled down into a grotesque frown. Hmm, that must be what was covering his face earlier. It didn't seem very well suited to a doctor, he would have to find a new one. He left it and exited the house, much calmer. 

A man was running toward him, calling out a name he didn't recognize. He looked terrible.

"Goodness, he must be sick too." He fished around in his bag for some medicine. He didn't exactly remember what he used and made a mental note to write his findings down later. The man reached him and was shouting at him. "Now, yelling won't do you any good. Come inside, I will treat you as well."

"What? Did it work?"

"Of course it did, the patient is in there."

"Oh, thank god."

"You are sick too, you must let me treat you before it gets worse."

"I've caught it too? Ah, I thought I might. But I'm relieved you've worked out a cure!" The doctor led the relieved man back inside to begin his work. 


	11. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp there it is. I had a lot of fun writing this and I'm glad other people enjoyed it

SCP-035 gleefully latched on to a brand-new host. The poor fool had wandered near his containment room during a breach. Unluckily for him, the power was out and the door was unlocked, so he was easily able to follow 035's coaxing and put him on. 035 took a deep breath through the man's lungs. Finally, it had been so long since he'd inhabited a real body. Those morons at the Foundation kept giving him lifeless statues and mannequins to posses and it was excruciatingly boring. 

This host was a scientist; 035 grinned as he rifled through the man's memories. There were probably all sorts of juicy foundation secrets in here, maybe enough to find a way out. The facility had been a nice change of pace from sitting alone in a crypt, but the novelty had worn off, and he was ready to get out into the world again. He wandered the darkened halls, alarms blaring. Gods, that was annoying. Maybe he should find a way to turn it off on his way out. The scientist didn't know where the alarm system was controlled, so he'd have to figure it out himself.

Nearly half an hour later, a finger fell off. Dammit, finding a new body would be so inconvenient now, everyone was on high alert. 035 sighed, remembering the good old days when his hosts would last years. Now this black ooze dissolved everything he touched, ever since... He paused, black dripping down his surface in a semblance of tears. He remembered the pain, the burning like he was being remade in fire, then more pain as he was wrenched away from the only thing that had been keeping him stable. Images of the doctor he knew so long ago swam in his memory...but wait, that wasn't his. Dyo gasped as he realized it was the scientist who had seen the doctor, and recently. He was here! 

The mask took off in a new direction, following vague memories of corridors and numbers along the walls. Recognition flared in his host's mind and he skidded to a halt. A door labelled SCP-049. That was him. Ugh, these designations were all so clinical, 035 could barely keep them straight. The glass window that led to the cell was shattered, and the room was empty. The doctor must have gotten out somehow. Great, now he had to try and search for him in this maze of a facility. He swore when he got out of here...

Footsteps behind him broke his line of thought and he whirled around to see a black-robed figure pacing the hall. He stopped and stared at the mask. The two stood frozen for a moment, 035's mind raging with thoughts. It had been centuries since they separated, so much had happened, so much had been left unsaid... in the chaos, one thought rose above the others.

"What the ever-loving hell have you got on your face?"

The doctor frowned and touched the beak on his white mask. "It's for protection. The Pestilence can spread through air, you know."

"The what now?" Confused, 035 took a step toward 049. "What have you been doing all this time?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." The doctor stood calmly with his hands folded behind his back. "You seem to be well, so if you'll excuse me, I must get back to my work." And with that, he strode off unceremoniously. 035 shook his head to snap himself out of his shock. It was like he hadn't even recognized him! Did he look that different? He felt the surface of his face. No, still the same Dyo. His hands came away streaked with black, and one of them fell off. Shit, he had to do something fast, before he lost his chance. He took off after the doctor.

049 finished stitching up the incision on the body in front of him. This one had been nearly too far gone, but luckily he was able to pull them back from their infected state. The person stumbled to their feet and wandered down the hall. The doctor smiled to himself. Another one cured. He had been lucky that the others had escaped, it gave him a rare opportunity to do his work freely. The Foundation had refused to let him help; there weren't as many sick down here, but still! He had to stop the disease from spreading, and quickly. He moved on, searching for any other sign of people. A noise behind him revealed the man in the mask from earlier. What did he want now?

"Can I help you?"

"Don't you remember me?" 049 squinted curiously at the man.

"I don't believe we've met before, no. Although, I don't meet many of the other doctors that work here."

"No, no, ignore him. It's me!" The man gestured to the mask on his face. "Dyo Polonoi. You know me."

Something stirred deep within 049's mind, something almost familiar, but he was distracted by the hurried footsteps of someone rounding the corner. A woman in an orange jumpsuit nearly collided with him. 

"Oh dear, another victim of the disease." The woman's scream was cut short as he touched her arm and she collapsed to the ground. He went about performing the surgery on her.

When she got to her feet, the mask was tapping his foot impatiently, still standing in the same spot as before. "Now will you listen to me?"

"I don't see how any of this is relevant. I really must..."

"Stop! Shut up about this disease for once and listen to me!" The mask was crying, at least, that's what it looked like. Either way, he was clearly in distress. 

"Alright, there's no need to be upset. Tell me what's wrong." He wasn't sick, but what kind of doctor would he be if he turned someone away who needed help?

"Do you remember the 17th century? When we met?"

"The 17th century? That's a long time ago."

"Just...try to think back."

"Alright..." 049 tried to think back to what he had done before the foundation found him. He was in France, and before that, England. He went back years and years, longer than he thought possible. "I...I was doing the same thing I am now. Helping people who were sick, trying to stop the spread of the Great Pestilence. What a shame that it has persisted this long..."

"Yes, the plague! Remember? The Black Death, I was there when you were treating it."

"The Black Death? I haven't heard of any disease called that."

"You don't even remember..." The mask groaned in frustration. "What happened to you? Did you forget everything?"

"I must have, if I don't remember knowing you. Wait..." He stared at 035. Something about his mannerisms did seem familiar. He couldn't quite place it, but he felt almost...warm when he looked at him. 

"The Middle East, remember that? We were there for years. You took me with you on your mission to bring back innocent lives lost. I performed for them. I tried to make you do it but you hated it."

"I didn't _hate_ it, I just wasn't as good as you." 049 blinked in surprise. He didn't remember deciding to say that, it had come from him unbidden. 

"You do remember!" The mask's frown changed to a wide grin. 

"I-maybe. What else did we do together?"

"We first encountered the disease in Italy; you threw yourself right in to helping people. You were so brave, I remember how scared you were, but you helped anyway." 

Memories flashed in his head like waves hitting the shore. He would just start to see something, then it would be gone in an instant. But each one had the mask in it. He was there laughing with him, following him, comforting him. Dyo had always been there, until he suddenly wasn't. But here he was again, talking to him as though no time had passed at all. Tears filled the doctor's eyes, and all he could do was rush forward and hold him again.

035 nearly fell when 049 hugged him, mostly because his body was becoming more unstable by the minute. He didn't care about that now, all he cared about was the man he loved in his arms after a lifetime of waiting. He had never stopped looking, not really, even when all logic told him that he was probably dead. He was crying for real now, black tears flooding out of his eyes in streams. 

"You're okay," 035 choked, clutching the back of his robes as though he never intended to let go.

"How are you here? I thought...I threw you away," he whispered in horror. "I didn't mean to, I promise, it was just so dark, and I didn't know where or who I was."

"Yeah, that did hurt a bit. But I don't care, you're here now."

"Really? Just like that, you don't care?"

"Okay, fine, I'm still mad. You owe me big time for that." 035 gave a watery laugh. "I'm just so happy to see you again."

"I am too." 049 sighed and finally let go. "I really do have to go, there are still so many sick here. Come with me?"

035 took his offered hand. "To the ends of the earth. Do we have to stay here though? They have doctors, they can take care of the sick."

"Not the pestilence," 049 shook his head. "They can't see it even when it is right in front of them."

"Doctor, you know that the plague ended, right? It's been gone for centuries, a few cases pop up here and there, but the humans can handle it." 

"I'm the only one who knows how to cure it," 049 mumbled, ignoring him. Dyo frowned. A piece of the doctor was missing. The incident with the girl had changed him on a deeper level than he had thought. He was trapped in that moment, desperately trying to stop a disease that was long gone. That same fear that drove him to run lingered in his eyes. 

"Well, we musn't keep them waiting." 035 smiled sadly and followed him through the halls. At least he was here. His wildest dreams could never have predicted that they would find each other after all this time. Even as their trip was cut short by the guns leading them back to their cells, he didn't worry. They would see each other again, they would slowly heal, and one day when the walls around them crumbled, they could walk out together again. His heart felt warm as he heard his doctor's voice getting further away, humming an old song. 


End file.
